retroremakes
December 17th, 2009, 17:05
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/500x_tvarmor1.jpg (http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/tvarmor1.jpg)TV Armor (http://gizmodo.com/tag/tvarmor/) is a clear, acrylic shield for your LCD or plasma set. You know, for if your little Hellspawn thinks that pounding a GI Joe against the television is funny.
The Price
$150 as tested, for a 40-42" screen.
The Verdict
If you had a very nice TV and a very naughty child, I could see the appeal of TV armor.
The hardest part of installation is pulling the plastic film off the TV armor itself. Once that's done, you stick a few felt adhesive pads on the back, then set the armor directly over your television (it hooks from the top).
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/500x_tvarmor2.jpg (http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/tvarmor2.jpg)
Even without the straps, I found the shield extremely well-balanced. That is, before I proceeded to bang the crap out of it with my remote. I basically tried to stab my Samsung to death with a blunt DirecTV remote. And I failed (which was a good thing).
While I'm not sure it could withstand a brick coming straight at it, TV Armor didn't flex enough to contact my TV's real glass screen at all during my remote test. However, the armor wasn't left completely unscathed. Some of the remote's plastic left little spots on the screen (and items like keys are sure to scratch the surface). But, I guess if you were investing in the product, you'd want it damaged rather than your TV.
As for glare and general watchability, it roughly doubles reflections coming off the screen. I found the sacrifice adequate, though depending on your precise lighting situation, results may vary. (The glare off a fully open window can get pretty intense at certain angles.)
So it's your call. But if I may be as bold as to suggest, for $130, the money spent on TV Armor could buy a lot of Ritalin and child muzzles. [TV Armor (http://www.tv-armor.com/)]
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/12/gizplus3_01.jpg Solid construction
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/12/gizplus3_01.jpg Minimal effects on overall image quality
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/02/giznormal_01.jpg Once it scratches, does that defeat the point or completely justify the device?
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/02/gizminus_01.jpg Increases glare moderately
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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:H0mrP-F8Qgo) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:yIl2AUoC8zA) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:D7DqB2pKExk</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:D7DqB2pKExk) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:V_sGLiPBpWU</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:V_sGLiPBpWU)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/HnIlu8_6WUI
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/HnIlu8_6WUI/tv-armor-review-better-than-a-broken-tv-i-guess)
The Price
$150 as tested, for a 40-42" screen.
The Verdict
If you had a very nice TV and a very naughty child, I could see the appeal of TV armor.
The hardest part of installation is pulling the plastic film off the TV armor itself. Once that's done, you stick a few felt adhesive pads on the back, then set the armor directly over your television (it hooks from the top).
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/500x_tvarmor2.jpg (http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/tvarmor2.jpg)
Even without the straps, I found the shield extremely well-balanced. That is, before I proceeded to bang the crap out of it with my remote. I basically tried to stab my Samsung to death with a blunt DirecTV remote. And I failed (which was a good thing).
While I'm not sure it could withstand a brick coming straight at it, TV Armor didn't flex enough to contact my TV's real glass screen at all during my remote test. However, the armor wasn't left completely unscathed. Some of the remote's plastic left little spots on the screen (and items like keys are sure to scratch the surface). But, I guess if you were investing in the product, you'd want it damaged rather than your TV.
As for glare and general watchability, it roughly doubles reflections coming off the screen. I found the sacrifice adequate, though depending on your precise lighting situation, results may vary. (The glare off a fully open window can get pretty intense at certain angles.)
So it's your call. But if I may be as bold as to suggest, for $130, the money spent on TV Armor could buy a lot of Ritalin and child muzzles. [TV Armor (http://www.tv-armor.com/)]
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/12/gizplus3_01.jpg Solid construction
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/12/gizplus3_01.jpg Minimal effects on overall image quality
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/02/giznormal_01.jpg Once it scratches, does that defeat the point or completely justify the device?
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/02/gizminus_01.jpg Increases glare moderately
http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?p=1 (http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?p=1) http://a.rfihub.com/eus.gif?eui=2226 http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FRUSk2CLkTG0bg5D6efi8hOPV6I/0/di</img> (http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FRUSk2CLkTG0bg5D6efi8hOPV6I/0/da)
http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FRUSk2CLkTG0bg5D6efi8hOPV6I/1/di</img> (http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FRUSk2CLkTG0bg5D6efi8hOPV6I/1/da)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:H0mrP-F8Qgo) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:yIl2AUoC8zA) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:D7DqB2pKExk</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:D7DqB2pKExk) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:V_sGLiPBpWU</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=HnIlu8_6WUI:dz1Vcbn-qcw:V_sGLiPBpWU)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/HnIlu8_6WUI
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/HnIlu8_6WUI/tv-armor-review-better-than-a-broken-tv-i-guess)